Display stand



July 31 1928.

I r 1,679,082 A, L. HANSEN DISPLAY STAND Filed July 12, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 1 July '31, 192s. 1,679,082

' A. L. HANSEN DISPLAY STAND Filed Ju1y12, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 6 H -72 Z 5 3 i 1% I i 40 r! l M. I I 6 D Za mi? 7 I I 6b B th t I 2% I s jwenzfop Zkzw 5s.- kzg g zwwm; $21M v f July 31, 1928.

A. L. HANSEN DISPLAY STAND 3 sheets-sheet 3 Filefi July 12, 1924 Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1 1,679,082 PATENT o FlcE.

' AUGIE L. HANSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO A. L. HANSEN MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY STAND.

Application filed July 12, 1924. Serial No. 725,551.

This invention relates to improvements in display stands and more especially to a novel design, construction and assembly of parts which make up the stand. The particular stand herein disclosed is designed for the display and dispensing of packaged goods, such as chewing gum and like confections and made up of a plurality of vertically ar-' ranged units assembled into a hexagonal shaped container mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and supported upon a base. The device is especially intended to facilitate the sale of packaged goods by displaying a quantity of the same in an attractive container within reach of the purchaser, and from which a selection may be made and the package removed without unnecessary handling or lossof time. 7

The object of the invention is to provide a display stand which is attractive in appearance, substantial in construction, yet unique in the arrangement of the package holding units as well as-their design and assembling into a complete stand. In the ac companying drawings is illustrated the structure of the stand as well as more detailed, illustrations, showing the manner in which the several units are constructed and assembled.

7 Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the complete stand,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the stand with the cover removed,

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section through the stand,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view in cross section, through the supporting spindle, as taken on line 4.-t of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the main section of one of the individual display and dispensing units, I

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the dividing wall section of a unit removed from the portion shown in Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the vertical panel strips separating the in-' dividual units, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of oneof the angle pieces which connect the individual display units together.

Referring-first to the general design and structural features of the stand, the same consists of a hexagonal shaped container A mounted upon a supporting standard consistingof a base B and a vertical spindle C extending axially of the container A and supporting the same for rotation upon the I standard.

The container as clearly shown in Figure 2, is made up of five units D, each one identical to another and arranged in hexagonal relation about the center axis of the container. By virtue of this arrangement .the central portion of the container is holheight. The top of thecontainer is surmounted by an ornamental hexagonal shaped cover E which fits over the topedges of the several display units, and is removable for the purpose of filling the several units with the packages as theyhave become exhausted.

Referring now to the construction of the individual units D, each comprises two vertical compartments or chutes 1 and 2, located one behindthe other. The outermost chute of each unit terminates above the lower edge of the container in a discharge opening identified by outwardly extending lips 1 which form the bot-tom wall orchute, as well as deflecting members which guide the bottom package outwardly and into a position to be easily removed from the stand. The innermost chute 2 which is located directly behind the outer chute and terminates a short distance belowthe delivery opening of the forward chute and substantially at the lower edge of the stand, the same also having outer extending lips 2 for deflecting the packages outwardly as they reach the lower end of the chute.

The method of forming and assembling the several parts of each individual unit is clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. The principal member of each unit is a threessided section 3 whichextends the full height of the container. the width of the casing to be equal to the length of the packages to be dispensed and its depth substantially twice the width or thickness of the packages, depending on their shape and size. These sections are stamped from a single piece of sheet metal of relatively light gauge, the rear wall 3 being imperforate and the side walls 3" likewise imperforate except for a series of pairs of slots at arranged in a vertical line between the front and rear edges. Along the forward edges of the section are formed inwardly facing channels 3 which extend from the top of the section to a point a short distance above its lower edge, the metal of the channel being crimped or flattened together so as to close the lower end of each channel at these points. It may be mentioned at this point that a glass panel 5 fits into the side channels 3, 3 and forms a transparent front wall throughout the major portion of the section, a spaceor slot being provided be tween the lower edge of the glass panel and thelip 1 for the delivery oi the packages.

As shown in Figure 3, the lower portion of the rear wall ot the section 3 is bent upwardly and forwardly to form the shallow \Lshaped lips h rcinbei'oic referred to as the dispensing lips 2 at the bottom of the rearinostchute 2. It is noted that the metal between these lips is cut away at 2" so that only the ends of the packages are supported,-this being done so that the packages can be more easily grasped in removing them;

In Figure 6 is shown the intermediate section or dividing wall 6 which consists of a fiat rectangular piece of metal provided with.

a relatively large rectangular opening or window 6 throughout its central portion. The length or vertical dimensions of this section 6 is less than that of the section 3 and is similarly provided at its lower end with the shallow V-shaped lips 1 at the lower end of the outer chute 1. These lips 1 are formed by bending the end portions of the lower margins of the sections upwardly and outwardly, leaving a clownwardly projecting central portion 6 intact, this latter portion forming a continuation of the sect-ion terminating at short distance above the dispensing lip 2 of the main section and forms therewith the discharge slot oi the rear chute 2 as clearly shown in Fig ure- 3. Along the vertical edges 01' section 6 are pairs of ears 6, which are adapted to register with and engage the slots 4 in the side walls of the section 3. In assembling the sections 3 and 6, these pairs of cars are inserted through the corresponding slots 4; and the form bent over after the manner of the ordinary toy joint. Thus, when assembled, the section 6 iormsa dividing or partition. wall separating the front chute 1 from the rear chute 2.

When these individual dispensing units are assembled they are ready to be joined together into the hexagonal form that produces the complete dispensing container. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the rear walls 3 of the several units are placed together with their corner edges in contact and their rear walls enclosing a hexagonal space. Similarly, their front panels face outwardly with ll-shaped spaces or channels between the side walls 3 of adjacent units. Within these spaces are located pairs of angle plates 7 which consists of relatively short strips of metal bent to the same angle as that included between the sides of the several units. Each of these angle plates is provided with slots 7 located'to register with and to be engaged by the tongue 6 formed along vertical side edges of the dividing wall 6 of the units. As clearly shown in Figure 3, one of these angle plates 7 is located at the upper end of each of the spaces between the units,- and another at the lower end, and secured to the side walls by the upper and lower pair of tongues 6, which project through corresponding'slots 7 in the angle plate and bent over. These angle plates connect the several units together, but do not produce a completely rigid structure, since the outer edge of the units remain unsupported, and the spaces therebetween entirely open. In order to close these spaces and to give added support between units, concave strips 8 of metal are inserted endwise into the spaces, with their side edges engaged within the recesses immediately behind the panel holding channels 3 along the outer edges oi each unit. These strips are inserted so that their concave surfaces face outwardly and since they are more or less resilient, due to the lightness of the metal and their concavity, tend to exert lateral pressure against the outer edges of the units and thus are held securely in place. Moreover, they exert pressure against the units further tending to hold them in'position and giveadded rigidity to the whole structure.

In this way the main portion of the container is built up and is now ready to receive the supporting members for engaging the standard on which it rotates Within the hollow hexagonal space included by the rear walls of the several units and substantially midway between the top and bottom thereof is a plate 9 initially circular in shape, but havingmarginal portions 9 struck up at right angles thereto, so as to give it a heX- agonal shape, and at the same time provide the flanges which abut against the rear walls of the units.

As a preferred method of securing this plate in position, metal points 10 are struck outwardly from the rear walls of the units which engage the margins of the flanges 9. liassing through the center of the plate and in a downwardly direction is a cap screw 11 having a tubular stem 12 attached at its end, a washer 13 and a circular reinforcing plate 14: being inserted beneath the head. of the screw and between the underside of the plate 10 and the upper edge of the tube 12 respectively. The tube 12 is located axially of the container and projects a short distance below. A bottom closure plate is fitted on to the tube and into the end of the central cavity and serves to close the lower end thereof. As clearly-shown in Figure 3, the stem C of the supporting standard extends upwardly into the tube 12, its upper end having bearing contact with the lower end of the cap screw 11. To prevent the spindle C with its fairly heavy base B from dropping out of the tube in the event the container is lifted, an annular recess 16 is formed in the spindle near its upper end and the tube 12 provided with indentations 17 arranged about the tube and engaging the groove in the spindle so as to form a yieldable connection su'fiiciently tight to support the weight of the supporting standard, but which will give when force is applied to the base to pull the spindle out of the tube when it is desired to dismantle the stand.

The top cover E has already been referred to and this completes the stand.

The method of utilizing the stand is quite obvious, although it may be explained that the chutes or package compartments 1 and 2 of each unit is filled with packages. the same being inserted at the top of each chute by removing the top cover E. The packages are preferably inserted into these chutes sidewise. filling the chutes with a vertical row, although the bottom package is always partially upset and guided forwardly toward the mouth of the chutes when engaging the lips 1 and 2 at the lower ends thereof. Thus, as a package is removed from the bottom of any one of the chutes another package drops down and takes the place of the one just removed, so that there is a package in readiness until a chute or unit becomes empty and requires refilling. Each unit being made up of-two separate chutes or compartments, one behind the other. the capacity of the stand is greatly increased. Moreover, the arrangement of the c :-in )artinents is such that a large assortment of packages can be dispensed from a single source, or, if preferred, a greater quantity of aless extensive assortment as the merchant may choose.

A further feature of the stand is that it is important to observe that the stand is so designed that the contents of the chutes are visible so that it can be readily ascertained when refilling is necessary. Furthermore, there is less likelihood of both chutes being emptied at the same time and the supply exhausted, since there are two chutes from which the packages may be removed. Thus, if the supply of packages in the outer chute become reduced, the rear chute will still have a supply in reserve and vice versa. So too, the packages in the rear chute are visible through the window 6 in the dividing wall tension.

4. A display stand comprising a plurality and thus removes the unsightly appearance of the empty forward chute should the same be exhausted.

The entire stand is preferably finished in nickel and is purposely made attractive in order to provide a fixture in keeping with its surroundings, as well as facilitating a system of merchandising which protects the goods against dirt and dust and avoids the shaped recesses therebetween, unit connecting members located in said V-shaped spaces and resilient panel strips adapted to be bowed transversely and inserted edgewise forward between the adjacent forward edges of said units.

2. A display stand comprising a plurality of package dispensing units, arranged symmetrically about a central vertical axis 1n polygonal formation and comprising metallic sections of rectangular sectional contour abutting at their rear corner edges-and forming V-shaped spaces between their adjacent side walls, angle plates inserted in said spaces and connecting the side walls of said units together, and resilient metal strips in serted under tension between the forward edges of said units.

3. A display stand comprising a plurality of upright package holding units of rectangular sectional contour arranged symmetrically about a central axis in polygonal form,

and joined together with their inner corner edges adjacent each other and resilient metal straps inserted between the outer corner edges of ilClJitCBlTt units and held in place by of package dispensing units arranged symmetrically about thecentral axis in polygonal form, said units consisting of upright metal containers of rectangular sectional contour joined together with their inner vertical edges in contact and provided with flanges along their outer vertical edges, and resilient metal strips inserted edgewise under compression between the outer edges of adjacent units, and exerting lateral pressure against the same.

Signed at Chicago this 9 day of July, 1924-.

AUeaE L. HANSEN. 

